Chapter Text
That night’s left-overs had already been stored in the fridge and the house occupants were getting ready for bed when the bell rang. After a few yells of who was going to get the door, Lorelai opened it just to find Jess on their doorstep.
Her daughter’s boyfriend looked especially miserable, even more than last morning, when he had admitted to Luke that he had flunked out of high school and had no intention of re-doing his senior year. Lorelai had barely managed to level down Luke’s ire, convincing him that kicking out his nephew wasn’t an option if he actually wanted to be helpful.
“What’s wrong kid?”
“Can I crash on your couch tonight?”
“I asked first”
A familiar tumultuous expression crossed the young man’s face before sighing and answering “I had a fight with Luke. In his opinion I don’t have a right to know when my estranged father decides to appear. Can I come in?”
“The couch is yours for as long as you need” Lorelai said, moving to let him in.
After all, Lorelai had promised him that he could stay if things went sour with Luke. He had reminded her of herself that morning, more than he usually did, and while she still couldn’t wrap her head around Jess telling Rory that he loved her, Rory’s yells and Jess’ actions from the other night still hadn’t left her mind, and so Lorelai was decided to bite her tongue and be supportive of the relationship her daughter was in.
“Mom! Who was at the- Jess! What are you doing here?” Rory appeared in the hallway, hair down and wearing pyjamas, beautiful as ever in Jess’ opinion.
“I had a fight with Luke”
“A fight? What happened?”
“My dad appeared”
“Your dad appeared? What? Jess, please, what happened with Luke?” Rory insisted, but after seeing his face she took his hand and pulled him to the couch, sitting them down. “Start from the beginning, please”
“I’ve told you how my dad left the day I was born, right? Well, apparently it took him eighteen years to make his way back” he spoke in a low voice, tense all over, “he came by this afternoon, when I was closing the diner, he said he was my father we sat, we listened to Bowie, he ran out the door. And okay, that’s bad, but I can deal with him suddenly appearing. My life’s already going to shit, what’s one more thing? Apparently, Luke knew he was in town, had gone to see him and decided that I was better off not knowing, and then yelled at me for my life decisions, and once again about the not graduating”
“Jess… that’s… Luke was wrong. You deserved to know about him being here” Rory let go of his hand, hugging him instead, to which he hugged back, hiding his face in her neck, breathing her in.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Rory, I can’t do anything right. I can’t graduate, I can’t take you to prom, I can’t even keep that piece of crap car I had… I don’t wanna become my parents, Rory, I can’t do that…”
“Jess look at me” she said, separating their bodies, holding his face between her hands. “There’s not a single chance that you’ll be like them, you already are so much better. You care so much, and you work so hard, we’ll deal with this, okay? We’ll make a plan, we’ll find a way to sort everything out”
“Rory…” he breathed out. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“You’re always so… positive, kind, helpful. You seem to always see the best in people”
“Believe me, I don’t. I just see a lot of good in you”
Jess answered by kissing her and then nuzzling their noses together.
“Time for bed, kids! We have to wake up bright and early tomorrow!” said Lorelai, finally entering the living room, a stack of pillows and blankets in her arms.
[***]
Morning came by fast, and Lorelai sure hadn’t slept well. She did trust that Rory and Jess hadn’t got up to anything last night, but having them be in such close quarters left and unsettling feeling in her gut, mostly because she didn’t know how long would Jess stay with them, and the longer he stayed the higher the chances for the two teenagers to find themselves alone in a bedroom.
Lorelai got up and ready earlier and faster than usual, silently walking downstairs. Jess was still asleep in the couch, snoring softly, an arm behind his head the other holding open a book, headphones barely holding to his ears. Rory’s door was closed and no sound came from inside. Lorelai took her chances and left the house for a quick run to Luke’s. She figured Jess wouldn’t want to go after yesterday’s fight, the same way she wouldn’t want to talk to her mother after a brutal put down.
The diner’s bell rang, and she walked straight to the counter “Hey Luke! I need 3 coffees to go, fast, and chocolate chip pancakes, and normal pancakes, and 2 danishes, and whatever your nephew usually has for breakfast. All to go”
“My nephew?”
“Yes! Your nephew, Jess, remember him? Like yay tall, spiky hair, you’ve been fighting for 2 days, dates Rory. Does any of that ring a bell?”
“Lorelai…”
“He came by yesterday, said something about his father appearing and you not telling him. He’s crashing in our couch for a bit”
“You’re letting him on your couch? Under the same roof than Rory?”
“I’m trying to make my peace with that. And I think you should apologize to him. Now, breakfast, pleeeassse”
When Lorelai came back from the diner, everyone was where she left them, so the set up breakfast on the kitchen table, careful not to spill anything.
“I thought I smelled coffee” said Rory, coming from her bedroom already in the Chilton uniform.
“Good morning your highness. I trust you slept well.”
“And to what do I owe this lovely display of domesticity?”
“Well, being brilliant and all, I figured Jess would probably not be in the mood to go to Luke’s this morning, so I thought we’d have a nice little breakfast here. Now, go wake your boyfriend”
“No need. I’m here” said Jess, entering the kitchen. “Good morning”
“These are from Luke’s” stated Rory, who had been busy eating. “You got up this morning, went to Luke’s and brought this back”
“Well, I sure as hell am not gonna cook. Also, Jess, Luke knows you’re staying here”
“Okay” he said, then adding “Thank you for breakfast. And letting me crash here”
“Don’t mention it kid”
“Well, there it is” says Rory showing the newspaper to Lorelai.
“‘Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lister announce the engagement of their daughter Lindsay Ann to Dean Forester, son of Randy and Barbara Forester.’” Lorelai reads out loud “My God, they’re a good-looking couple. If their kids can sing there’s no stopping ‘em”
“I still don’t understand why they need to get married” says Rory.
“Maybe they have to get married before he grows so tall she won’t be able to talk to him anymore” answers Lorelai, making Jess snort.
“I don’t get how Lindsay has accepted” adds Jess, “much less after Kyle’s party, I mean, you yelling at Dean was pretty epic”
“Well, my Rory can throw fits every now and then. Remember your first week at Chilton? When I was called to your principal’s office to get you?”
“You were sent to the principal’s office?” asked Jess
“Hey, here’s a picture of Kirk pinned by the casket” said Rory, changing the topic.
“Oh, yeah, that’s a good one”
“Man, it’s bad enough this had to happen, but his pants splitting on top of it?”
“Yeah. I hope he never takes too close a look at his life.”
“Amen. So this goes on the fridge, right?”
“Yeah, absolutely”